prop& drive
 

I have a 77 24ft.Excalibur.It has a merc 1 trans and trs drive.Need a prop suggestion.Has a 3 blade cleaver 23p on it now
but top end is 55 and poor planning.Want more top end and a
easier way to get on plane.Motor is a 604 merlin with roughly 725
horses.Also want to update drive next year to probably bravo
unit,no room forward to add better trans.,any comments on bravo
shops trs to bravo conversion or stellings extension box trs to
bravo?

What rpm is it turning?

I'm by far not an expert on this particular boat but several years ago I looked at one thinking I might purchase it. It had stock BBC with TRS drive. The boat ran mid 50's as it was set up. I would think with your motor your speed would be much higher. Anyway, went back for a second look and the tranny was blown. That scared me away but I always liked that boat.

I ran a mild 502 with a BW trans/TRS with a 26P Michigan wheel in my 1975 24' Excalibur and had no trouble hitting 70. Something doesn't sound right. It is a very light boat and with your power, it should pop right up on plane. Got any pics?

with that much hp you should be going WAY faster. either your hitting the rev limiter with the throttle not fully open yet, or your not making that much hp. if you do have that hp and that speed, pull your anchor up. :D

the motor will turn 6500 rpm if i want to push it but the trans is the weak link so i just baby it until i can do a outdrive update but
with that much power i should still be able to get out of the hole a little better.The boat ran 55 with the stock BB and its not going to go any faster with more hp but should if i use more prop.I do
not know what props will fit a trs drive.Been building engines last
20 years,first boat i played with,need suggestions.

Try a Mirage prop .. I would think you would be able to get on plane easier .... anyway, you should be able to get better performance with some prop experimenting.

G

excalibur, trs's are known for their strength and durability . they are heavy though but shift awfully nice. if you want to switch to a bravo, look in the classifieds on this board and you can find a good deal. stellings (209-485-9394) makes a standoff box that bolt over your old hole so you don't need to re-do the transome. it sets the drive back 12" and has a 1"raised x dimesion built in and is adjustable another 1" for more speed. you will have to remove the trans and set the engine back against the transome on the inner transome plate. i'm sure stellings has everything you need.
if you plan to run it like it is for a while you will definately want to experiment with some other props with more pitch. you may want to start around a 24 or 25. that may get you in the ballpark but testing is key. Fran

i forgot, 24 or 25 may be conservative to start but i don't know where you want your rpm limit to be.

Excalibur,
Thats a nice boat, but have you looked into the cost/benefit of upgrading the trans in your boat as opposed to a Bravo conversion. It's your business but its still a 1970's 24ft boat, although the hull design is classic. I might think about getting the transmission issues taken care of, and put a 3 blade Mirage prop on it and enjoy what you have. That boat should run low 70's with the TRS if you can get the power to the water.
Good Luck